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Departmental Handbook

Child Protection

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Child Protection



How to deal with a revelation


Listen
  • Go with the child to a private place. Ask the child to tell you what happened in her/his own words. Be prepared to use the child’s terminology and/or pictures.
  • Such an allegation is to be listened to with care.
  • Reassure the child that you know it is not her/his fault.
  • You are sorry about what has happened
  • Do not show disbelief.
  • Remember that children seldom lie about sexual assault. Disbelieving a child’s disclosure contributes to the trauma of the assault.
  • Do not give the child a guarantee of secrecy regarding the disclosure
  • Take the allegation seriously. Support the child for telling you.
  • Affirm the child’s feelings. Children who are victimised may experience a range of feelings such as sadness, anger, anxiety or depression. Affirm whatever feelings the child has and avoid telling the child how she/he should feel.
  • Refer to Headteacher.
  • Share concern at the Co-ordination Meeting.

Basic principles about responding to a revelation


  • Only ask enough questions to gain basic information.
  • Take the allegation seriously and support - do not interrogate.
  • Use open-ended questions.

Avoid leading questions:



 DO ask
 DON'T ask
When
 When did it happen?
 Did it happen last night?
Where
 Where did it happen?
 Did he/she come into your bedroom?
Who
 Who did it?
 Was it daddy/baby-sitter/John?
What
 What happened next?
 Did such and such happen?
How/Why
Avoid if possible. These questions require a judgement by the child and may also induce self-incrimination.

Remember
  • Keep the questions open-ended;
  • Do not prompt or suggest to obtain the answer you think you want to hear.
  • Keep notes of initial disclosure on the same working day.
  • More detailed advice is provided in the ‘Child Protection Guidelines’ available in the Professional Library.

Allegations made against staff


Teaching, like any other job involving adults working with young people, carries the risk of allegation of abuse of the trust and responsibility placed upon staff. In reality these risks are very slight indeed.
A teacher, and certain support staff, cannot function properly without from time to time being alone with a student or making physical contact with a student. Staff, therefore, must use their professional judgement and experience to minimise the risks of an allegation.

Advice

  • Always consider the quality of your relationship with the student, the context in which you are meeting her/him and whether or not it is absolutely necessary or unavoidable to be alone with her/him out of view of others.
  • Physical contact with a student may be necessary to physically support or to comfort her/him. However, always be very certain that the student considers such contact permissible. Showing affection through physical contact eg pat on the head, hug, etc will always be risky. A member of staff will need to be very sure indeed of the quality of their relationship with a student before attempting this. Students in Castlebrae are always very sensitive about being touched.
  • During any confrontation with a student, never place yourself in a situation where you will be alone with the student nor attempt to touch the student in any way for any reason. Indeed it is advisable not to place yourself physically close to the student. If the student leaves your room let them do so. Do not attempt to restrain the student, block her/his path nor follow her/him out of the classroom. Send another student to seek out the Duty Manager.

Exception


If there is a danger that the student may harm her/himself or others, you must intervene and use the minimum force necessary, or seek help if this is inappropriate, to prevent her/him from doing so. Failure to take such action would constitute negligence.
If alone in a room and a student enters in a confrontational manner, leave the room immediately and seek assistance from a colleague or the Duty Manager to help defuse the situation and deal with the matter.
  • do not reprimand students in private with no witnesses present
  • do not deliberately make physical contact nor threaten to make physical contact when reprimanding a student
  • do not verbally abuse students at any time even in jest